Connections Hints Today: No Spoilers

Connections Hints Today

Puzzle date: Aug 03 2026 · #1230

Four categories, easiest to hardest. Each one opens in three stages — a hint, then the group name, then the actual words — so you only see as much as you're ready for. Want the full grid right away instead? Head straight to today's full answer.

Yellow — Easiest

Hint

Common terms for everyday routes that often lead to more obscure names in this category, where familiarity with musical and herbal references might be helpful, though some words may also fit into groups focused on plants, music, or types of gatherings.

Group name

ROAD LESS TRAVELED

Words

ALLEY · BACKSTREET · BYWAY · LANE

Green

Hint

"Words that convey a sense of unremarkability can be tricky to pin down, as they often overlap with descriptions for more specific or evocative terms. Some might lead you astray by sharing similarities with other types of clues."

Group name

SHADES OF GREEN

Words

FOREST · HUNTER · MINT · SAGE

Blue

Hint

These words often convey a sense of plainness or unremarkability, but be aware that one might seem like it belongs in a different group due to its association with a well-known pop band. Some members are more likely to fit into seemingly unrelated categories, making them tricky to place. Focus on the common thread among them rather than their individual characteristics.

Group name

"Y" IS THE ONLY VOWEL

Words

FLY BY · MYRRH · NSYNC · RHYTHM

Purple — Hardest

Hint

For a group starting with synonyms for "pester", consider items that might be annoyingly common in everyday life, often causing frustration or annoyance to those around them. Some words may seem like they'd fit better into other groups due to their more unusual or specific connotations. Think about the types of things people tend to complain about on a daily basis.

Group name

STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "PESTER"

Words

BUG FIX · NAG CHAMPA · NEEDLESS · TEA SET

Same puzzle feed as our full answer page — pulled at reset, checked by an editor, last verified Aug 03 2026.

What the Colors Mean

YellowThe most straightforward category — usually a literal grouping.

GreenA little less obvious, often a synonym set.

BlueUsually leans on trivia or a less common meaning.

PurpleWordplay, double meanings, or a twist that isn't obvious until you see it.

NYT Connections editor Wyna Liu has noted that blue and green categories tend to be the trivia-heaviest — things like file extensions or a specific synonym set — while purple is where the puzzle usually hides a pun or a category that reads as something else entirely until the pattern clicks.

How to Use These Hints Without Spoiling It for Yourself

Start with just the hint on the category you're most stuck on — don't open the group name unless the hint alone doesn't get you there. If you're close but not sure of the exact words, the group name is usually enough to let you finish the category yourself. Save "Words" for when you want to check a guess or you're genuinely out of ideas.

Lock in your most confident group first. Whichever category you're most sure about — hint or no hint — guess that one before touching your least confident one. You only get four mistakes, so spend them wisely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do these hints give away the answer?

Not unless you open the third stage. The hint alone is meant to nudge you toward the category without naming it.

What's the difference between this page and your full answers page?

Connections Answers Today shows the full solved grid right away. This page is for people who want to solve it themselves with optional nudges.

Why is the purple category always the hardest?

Purple categories usually involve wordplay or a meaning that only becomes obvious once you already suspect it — that makes them resistant to guessing by elimination the way yellow and green often are.

What happens after four mistakes?

The puzzle ends and reveals the remaining groups — there's no way to keep guessing past four wrong answers.

How we keep this accurate

Hints, group names, and words are pulled from the same verified daily feed as our full answer page, so the two pages never contradict each other.
Hints are written fresh each day based on that day's actual categories — not a reused template.

More NYT-Style Puzzles

For the full solved grid instead of hints, see Connections Answers Today. Connections Unlimited lets you replay similar puzzles with no daily limit, and Harmonies Answers Today uses the same grouping format with a music theme. If you're working through the rest of today's NYT puzzles, Letter Boxed Answer Today and NYT Spelling Bee Answer are worth checking too.